The number of travel influencers has grown dramatically in the past few years. But that could be at a saturation point with some hotels and other travel industry organizations growing weary of working with them.
But when she recently contacted one hotel in Italy hoping for a free stay in exchange for social media exposure, she was bluntly rejected.So-called travel influencers such as Seder make a living by sharing their globetrotting experiences on social media and personal blogs. They get freebies, discounts or payments for promoting places, products and experiences via their accounts.
In another case, a Czech couple traveling in Bali drew ire after apparently splashing themselves with holy water at a temple and posting images of it to anThese incidents, while unrepresentative of the many influencers who steer clear of controversy, have helped shine a spotlight on a side of the travel industry of which many people were perhaps were unaware, highlighting some of the hard-nosed reality beneath the surface of the soft-focused dreamscapes on Instagram.
"We monitor comments and note when users tag other accounts or comment about the destination, suggesting they're adding it to their virtual travel bucket lists. Someone is influential if they have above a 3.5% engagement rate." That means extra pressure in finding the right influencer to convey the relevant message -- particularly when the aim is to deliver real-time social media exposure.
While some businesses and organizations may be turning their back on influencers, many still find it profitable to engage. They also spend a fair amount of time looking for handouts in exchange for Instagram posts, branded tweets, YouTube videos and more. "There have been times where I was forced to get up in the middle of the night to meet my contracted deliverables because there was absolutely no time to do it during the day," she says.
Walter DeMirci, USA country manager for the Qatar National Tourism Council, recognizes the limitations of using influencers, even if his organization is still willing to make use of them.
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